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Comments on ‘iRobot inks deal for laser-radar droidvision sensors’

Now the machines can follow you into the building

Published Tuesday 29th January 2008 13:27 GMT

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Exterminate! 

By Steve Charlton
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 13:33 GMT
Joke

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I call Laydar 

By Robert Grant
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 14:18 GMT

As being that special quality of knowing who nearby will sleep with you.

Ladar 

By Steve
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 14:38 GMT
Thumb Up

Shouldn't it be Lidar as popularised in several different sci-fi series and multiple books.

Why on earth... 

By Robert Ramsay
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 15:18 GMT

...is this being reported in the Christian Science Monitor?

@ Robert 

By Tom
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 15:22 GMT
Paris Hilton

Yeah, I call refer to my ladar as my ability to spot targets before they've even appeared, bloody yanks ruining everthing as usual.

You say Lidar... 

By Anonymous Coward
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 15:47 GMT

...Lewis says Ladar

If, as the first page of Google seems pretty much agrees on, RADAR derives from RAdio Detection And Ranging (which seems sensible, and the only controversy I can remember reading about is whether it's actually an acronym proper, which it isn't), then the laser version depends on whether you want to be specific about the distinction between Light and Laser

"LIght Detection And Ranging" gives "LIDAR"

"LAser Detection And Ranging" gives "LADAR"

there isn't much of either in use currently, so it'll probably depend on the first widespread actual usage of the abbreviation, unless people get really vocal about it. LADAR is probably more accurate, but LIDAR is more phonetically distinct if you're in an environment where it's important to distinguish.

They're both EMDAR or ELDAR, anyway.

LIDAR, LADAR, let's call the whole thing off 

By Tim Hughes
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 16:19 GMT

I think that LIDAR relates to light, and LADAR to lasers.

Obligatory Bender quote 

By Robert Moore
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 17:54 GMT
Paris Hilton

"I came here with a simple dream. A dream of killing all humans. And this is how it must end? Who's the real seven billion ton robot monster here? Not I, not I..."

PH, because I believe it is a robot.

and hows about... 

By theotherone
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 18:12 GMT
Jobs Horns

LARDAR for fat gits...

Nothing new here... 

By Richard Scratcher
Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 18:42 GMT
Coat

The Japanese have been using LADAR for years. A friend of mine says he used to service such devices at airports and various miritary instarrations.

The 5-nanosecond pulses will be eye-safe.. 

By Andy Bright
Posted Wednesday 30th January 2008 00:33 GMT

But not people safe and I think you know why. Radar my arse. Heat sensor more like, and it goes like this. Torch a fleshie, and you have a clear and precise heat sensitive marker.

The frightening thought is that it'll only take 5ns to torch its interweb-controlled human slaves, which no doubt will be ordered into buildings to stand next to obstructions and either side of entrances.

Re: You say Lidar... 

By Anton Ivanov
Posted Wednesday 30th January 2008 07:51 GMT
Black Helicopters

quote: there isn't much of either in use currently,

Wrong actually. Russians have been playing with it for more than 10+ years now though from a completely different perspective. LiDAR is one of the few technological methods to allow the detection and precise identification of aerosols. They ran series of space experiments and they also have gone past acceptance testing for army equipment to detect biological and chemical weapons using this methods. By the way - they use the LiDAR abbreviation.

I am surprised that the DARPA and QuinetiQ gravy trains have missed this boat.

Ultrasound 

By Mage
Posted Wednesday 30th January 2008 10:14 GMT
Boffin

due to the lower speed, 100KHz and up Ultrasound is equivalent to Microwave RADAR.

100KHz sound = 3mm wavelength equivalent to 100GHz Radar.

500KHz sound would be 0.6mm wavelength which would be excellent in room resolution.

Ultrasound seems to have been stuck at about 50KHz max for the last 30 years. Is it simply not fashionable?

Admittedly doppler shift is 1 Million times worse I think than light used for ranging.

@Why On Earth 

By umacf24
Posted Wednesday 30th January 2008 11:55 GMT

Because the CSM is an OK paper. The Mary Baker Eddy content is minimal. Last time I looked, the Washington Post was owned by the moonies and the NYT was still safely up its own wossname.....

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